We rely on computers and the internet for communication (email, phones, tablets), entertainment, shopping, transportation, banking and medicine. With this widespread use of technology, it is important to protect your information from unauthorized access or criminal use. This is the goal of cybersecurity, which is the practice of protecting networks, devices and data from cyber attack or crime.
Using effective cybersecurity solutions, you can protect your information at rest, in transit and in use. Solutions include anti-virus/anti-malware, phishing attack protection, a firewall, identity and access management, intrusion detection/intrusion prevention and encryption services. The best cybersecurity solutions are flexible and customizable to your needs, and can help you identify threats that might otherwise go undetected or unaddressed.
People who carry out cyber attacks are referred to as cybercriminals, hackers and threat actors. They exploit weaknesses in computer systems, called vulnerabilities, for their own gain. This could be to steal or disrupt the operations of businesses, government agencies and/or other individuals. These attackers range from individuals who work alone to organized groups of hackers operating as part of a criminal syndicate. There are also nation-state attackers who operate as extensions of their own governments.
Georgia Tech is home to 13 cybersecurity labs, centers and facilities including the Institute for Information Security & Privacy, National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and the Global Research Initiative. Students and faculty are involved in a wide variety of projects related to resilient military cyber defense, embedded systems, big data analytics and cryptography. Security Operations Center